21.9 The Story about the Elder Ekavihārī
Ekavihārittheravatthu

“Sitting alone,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to a bhikkhu named Elder Ekavihārī (One Who Lives Alone).

It appears that this elder was known to the fourfold community as one who sat alone and walked alone and stood alone. Now the [30.188] bhikkhus told the Realised One about him, saying: “Venerable Sir, such and such is the practice of this elder.” – “Well done! Well done!” exclaimed the Teacher, {3.472} applauding him. “He that is a bhikkhu ought to live as a solitary.” And praising the life of solitude, he pronounced the following verse:

305. kāsanaṁ ekaseyyaṁ, eko caram-atandito,
eko damayam-attānaṁ vanante ramito siyā.

Sitting alone, lying alone,
walking alone and diligent,
the solitary one who trains himself
will delight in the edge of a forest.

At the end of the teaching many reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on, and starting from then on many people desired to live a solitary life.